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White Sox Promote Drew Thorpe For MLB Debut

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June 11: The White Sox have officially announced Thorpe’s selection today. Left-hander Sammy Peralta was optioned to open a spot on the active roster. To open a spot on the 40-man, right-hander Dominic Leone was transferred to the 60-day injured list. Leone was put on the 15-day IL about three weeks ago due to inflammation in his throwing elbow and it now appears the Sox aren’t expecting him to return in the near future.

June 9: The White Sox are planning to promote top pitching prospect Drew Thorpe to the majors on Tuesday, manager Pedro Grifol told reporters (including James Fegan of SoxMachine). The right-hander will make his MLB debut against the Mariners in Seattle.

Thorpe, 23, was the headliner of a four player package the White Sox received from the Padres in the deal that sent ace righty Dylan Cease to San Diego back in March. It was the second time Thorpe had been traded that offseason, as the Padres acquired Thorpe from the Yankees as part of the Juan Soto package back in December. As one might expect from a prospect that was part of the return for two superstars in separate blockbusters during the same offseason, Thorpe is a consensus top-100 prospect in the sport. The righty currently ranks #41 at Baseball America and #54 at MLB Pipeline.

Prospect evaluation services universally praise Thorpe’s excellent command, ability to eat innings, and the devastating changeup that he complements with a 92-94 mph fastball that’s generally regarded as average and a average-or-better slider that sits in the mid-80s. Aside from his three main pitches, BA also notes that Thorpe mixes in a high-80s cutter and a low-80s curveball. That arsenal allowed the 2022 second-rounder to tear through the lower minors during his first taste of professional ball with the Yankees last year. Thorpe dominated to the tune of a 2.81 ERA with a 32.4% strikeout rate in 18 starts at High-A last year before earning a late season promotion to Double-A.

Thorpe’s star really began to rise with that promotion. The then-22-year-old impressed with a sparkling 1.48 ERA across five starts. The righty racked up a whopping 44 strikeouts in just 30 1/3 innings of work while walking just five. Punching out 40% of batters faced while walking just 4.5% in your first taste of Double-A action is a surefire way to get plenty of attention, and so it’s hardly a surprise that both the Padres and White Sox front offices coveted Thorpe enough to make him a key piece of the trade returns for their star players.

Upon joining the White Sox organization, the right-hander returned to Double-A for the start of the 2024 campaign and has continued to dominate hitters at the level, with similar surface-level numbers in 11 starts this season to his five-start taste of Double-A last year. Thorpe has pitched to a 1.35 ERA in 60 innings of work this year, though his strikeout rate has dipped to a more pedestrian 25% this year while his walk rate has crept up to 7.6%. Even with those diminished peripherals, however, Thorpe has more than proved himself capable at the Double-A level and figured to be in line for a promotion in the near future.

What’s surprising, then, isn’t so much the promotion but that he will skip Triple-A entirely and jump directly into big league action. The White Sox optioned right-hander Nick Nastrini to the minors earlier today, leaving them with just a vacancy in a starting rotation that lost Mike Clevinger to the injured list and now features only Garrett Crochet, Erick Fedde, Chris Flexen, and Jonathan Cannon. Rather than call up a veteran at the Triple-A level such as Chad Kuhl or Touki Toussaint to fill out the rotation, the White Sox will instead turn to Thorpe in a bold move to get the righty a taste of big league action.

It’s a decision that could come with financial implications for Thorpe, as he’ll be in a good position to earn a fourth arbitration year as a Super Two player if he remains with the big league club going forward without returning to the minor leagues. Thorpe could theoretically earn himself a full season of service time by finishing in the top 2 in AL Rookie of the Year voting this season, although that would be quite the feat given the massive head starts afforded to players like Luis Gil of the Yankees and Mason Miller of the A’s who have been dominating in the majors all season.

The Opener: Thorpe, Rodriguez, Renfroe

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With 40% of the 2024 regular season now in the books, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Thorpe to debut:

The White Sox are wasting no time in promoting their centerpiece from the Dylan Cease trade to the majors, as manager Pedro Grifol confirmed over the weekend that right-hander Drew Thorpe will make his MLB debut against the Mariners this evening. The White Sox will need to create space for Thorpe on both the 40-man and active rosters prior to tonight’s game, which is set to start at 6:40pm local time in Seattle. Thorpe will be tasked with taking on Mariners youngster Bryan Woo (1.07 ERA), who has been nothing short of dominant since returning from the injured list last month.

The 23-year-old Thorpe was in the headlines frequently this winter as he was twice included as a key part of the return in blockbuster deals, first headlining the return headed from New York to San Diego for Juan Soto alongside Michael King before the aforementioned Cease deal. Thorpe will be bypassing the Triple-A level entirely to make his way to the majors, but has an excellent 1.39 ERA in 16 starts at the Double-A level with an excellent 29.9% strikeout rate. A consensus top-100 prospect, Thorpe receives consistently high marks for his changeup and command with most services projecting him as a mid-rotation arm in the long term.

2. Rodriguez to debut:

Thorpe isn’t the only starting pitching prospect set to make his MLB debut today, as the Brewers are reportedly expected to promote right-hander Carlos Rodriguez for his major league debut this evening for a game against the Blue Jays in Milwaukee. The game is scheduled for 7:10pm local time and will see Rodriguez face off against veteran lefty Yusei Kikuchi (3.48 ERA) amid what has been a career season for the former NPB hurler. The Brewers will need to make room for Rodriguez on both the active and 40-man rosters prior to tonight’s game.

The 22-year-old has not typically been ranked especially highly by prospect outlets, but after being selected in the sixth round of the 2022 draft he nonetheless made some noise last year by posting a 2.77 ERA with a 29.5% strikeout rate across 25 starts at Double-A last year. Rodriguez received the bump to Triple-A late last year and has now made 13 total appearances at the level, but he’s struggled to a 5.21 ERA with a reduced 24.7% strikeout rate in that time. Still, the Brewers will turn to Rodriguez to take the ball in tonight’s game amid a myriad of starting pitching injuries that have plagued the club in recent weeks.

3. Renfroe injured:

It was a frustrating turn of events for both the Royals and veteran outfielder Hunter Renfroe as he exited yesterday’s loss to the Yankees after fouling two pitches off his left foot amid a 12-pitch duel with lefty Carlos Rodon. Manager Matt Quatraro told reporters (as relayed by Bally Sports Kansas City) that Renfroe suffered a broken toe during the at-bat and that he would be evaluated further before the club decides if a stint on the injured list will be necessary for the veteran. In the short term, any of Nick Pratto, Tyler Gentry, or Drew Waters could feasible replace Renfroe on the roster if he needs a stint on the IL.

The timing is especially unfortunate because Renfroe has been on a hot streak in recent weeks after a dreadful start to the season. The 32-year-old slashed just .150/.218/.263 in 87 trips to the plate prior to May 1 and continued to scuffle early last month but has turned things around in a big way over his last 20 games with an excellent .302/.371/.556 slash line in 70 plate appearances since the middle of May. If Renfroe ends up missing significant time due to the injury, it will only further highlight the need for another bat or two in the club’s outfield mix ahead of the trade deadline this summer; Royals outfielders have posted a collective wRC+ of just 75 this year, third-worst in baseball ahead of only the White Sox and Rockies.

The Opener: Biggio, Bregman, Yankees, Royals

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As the 2024 regular season continues, here are three things we’ll be keeping an eye on around the baseball world throughout the day today:

1. Biggio in DFA limbo:

After several seasons of struggles as a potential “change of scenery” candidate, the Blue Jays made the somewhat surprising decision to designate infielder Cavan Biggio for assignment on Friday. While the 29-year-old has hit a paltry .200/.323/.291 with an 88 wRC+ in 44 games this season, Biggio entered the current campaign with a career .229/.345/.389 (105 wRC+) slash line, including an above-average figure in a multi-positional role last season with experience at first, second, and third base as well as right field. Biggio is now about halfway through his seven-day DFA window, during which the Blue Jays will either have to expose Biggio to waivers or work out a trade to move him elsewhere.

As a left-handed bat with the ability to play all around the infield and a walk rate that’s been north of 10% every season of his career, Biggio offers plenty of qualities that could make him an attractive bench piece for teams. On the other hand, Biggio’s lack of power production over the past four years could be a red flag, while the roughly $2.78MM left on his contract could make bringing him into the fold a slightly more expensive proposition.

2. Bregman day-to-day after HBP:

Astros fans suffered an injury scare last night when third baseman Alex Bregman was struck on the wrist by a pitch during the club’s game against the Angels. As noted by MLB.com’s Injury Tracker, it’s the second time in the past week that Bregman has been hit in that hand after a pitch got away from Cardinals right-hander Andre Pallante on Tuesday. Fortunately, it appears that the veteran infielder got away without a serious injury, as Bregman himself told reporters (including MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart) that x-rays on his wrist came back negative and that he’s currently day-to-day.

Houston is off today, giving Bregman at least one day to rest before any further decisions are made. Despite a difficult start to the season for the 30-year-old, the Astros would surely hate to lose Bregman for even a game or two in the midst of his first extended hot streak. The pending free agent is riding an 11-game hitting streak and has slashed a fantastic .381/.447/.833 with five homers, a triple, and two doubles in his past 47 plate appearances.

3. Series Preview: Yankees @ Royals

After struggling through a three-game series against the Dodgers in the Bronx, the Yankees head to Kansas City for a four-game set that could wind up being a postseason preview. The Yankees hold the AL’s best record but have a lead of just 2.5 games over the Orioles in the AL East, while the Royals sit four games back of Cleveland in the AL Central at 39-27. A win for the Royals in this series could help the club make up significant ground against Cleveland while also opening the door for the Orioles to sneak back into first place. A series win by the Yankees would preserve the status quo atop both divisions.

The series is set to begin at 7:10pm local time this evening, when Royals righty Seth Lugo (2.13 ERA) takes on Yankees lefty Carlos Rodon (3.08 ERA). Tomorrow’s game will see veteran Yankees righty Marcus Stroman (3.04 ERA) face off against Brady Singer (2.76 ERA). Journeyman Cody Poteet (1.72 ERA) is set to take the mound for the Yankees on Wednesday in a game where K.C. has yet to announce a starter. The series wraps Thursday with right-hander Alec Marsh (4.05 ERA) on the mound for Kansas City opposite Yankees southpaw Nestor Cortes (3.68 ERA). Looking beyond the pitching matchups, Yankees manager Aaron Boone told reporters (including those at MLB.com) that Juan Soto figures to return to the club’s lineup during this series after missing the past three games due to elbow inflammation.

Rangers Notes: Scherzer, Gray, Jung

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TODAY: Scherzer began his rehab assignment today, tossing 53 pitches over four scoreless innings for Triple-A Round Rock.  As noted by Shawn McFarland of the Dallas Morning News, Scherzer’s sinker was averaging 93mph, and he threw the pitch 22 times among his 53 overall offerings while allowing only one hit and one walk in the five-strikeout outing.  The Rangers plan to build Scherzer up to a 75-pitch count before evaluating whether or not he might be ready to return to the majors.

JUNE 8: The Rangers activated right-hander Jon Gray from the 10-day injured list this afternoon, just over two weeks after he was initially shelved due to a groin strain. That quick turnaround has left Gray not fully stretched out to start, and Evan Grant of The Dallas Morning News wrote this afternoon that the right-hander would be eased back into his role with the club in a relief role before later rejoining the starting mix. According to Grant, the decision to first use Gray in relief before adding him back to the rotation mix his next time up allowed the Rangers to skip a minor league rehab stint for the 32-year-old hurler.

That plan came to pass this evening, as Gray pitched 2 1/3 scoreless frames in relief of Andrew Heaney during this evening’s loss to the Giants. Regardless of the role he’s pitching in, Gray’s return figures to provide a huge boost to the Rangers pitching staff. After all, the righty boasted a 2.21 ERA and 2.52 FIP in 57 frames at the time of his placement on the IL with a solid 23.7% strikeout rate and a 44.4% groundball rate that represents his best work since joining the Rangers prior to the 2021 season. With starters Jacob deGrom, Max Scherzer, Cody Bradford, and Tyler Mahle all currently in the midst of lengthy absences, Gray’s speedy return from the shelf figures to be key for the Rangers as they look to get themselves back into the hunt for the postseason. The club has scuffled in recent weeks and currently sports a 30-34 record that puts them five games back of the Mariners for the AL West crown and three games out of the final AL Wild Card spot.

Fortunately, Gray isn’t the only key player who could return from injury in the near future. Grant also relays that third baseman Josh Jung, who has been shelved for the majority of the season due to a broken wrist, has begun taken live batting practice and could be slated for a rehab assignment as soon as this coming Tuesday. Grant adds that Rangers brass are expected to set a schedule for Jung tomorrow that could firm up those plans.

Jung made it into just four games with the Rangers before he was sidelined this year, but he was hitting a scorching .412/.474/.941 in that microscopic sample size before the injury put him out of action. Since the start of Jung’s 2023 campaign, he’s been a well above average offensive contributor for Texas at third base with a .271/.320/.483 slash line, 26 doubles, and 25 home runs in 534 trips to the plate across just 126 games. Josh Smith has performed well at the hot corner in Jung’s absence, although the 26-year-old’s return from the injured list would still improve the club’s offense by allowing the team to push Ezequiel Duran and his 92 wRC+ into a bench role.

Turning back to the pitching staff, veteran ace Max Scherzer also made progress in his rehab earlier this week, as MLB.com’s Injury Tracker notes that he threw 40-50 pitches across two innings of live batting practice earlier this week, with Scherzer himself telling reporters that he hopes to start a minor league rehab assignment soon. It’s been a rocky road to recovery for Scherzer this season as he entered the 2024 campaign projected to return from offseason back surgery around the All Star break before seemingly progressing ahead of schedule. That left him and the Rangers eyeing sometime in May for his return, although a nerve issue in Scherzer’s thumb ultimately required a cortisone shot and caused the club to shut the veteran righty down.

Now that Scherzer is throwing to hitters once again, he appears to be on a similar track to the one he was projected for at the time of his surgery, with a return later this month or in early July now a seemingly realistic target so long as he avoids additional setbacks. After being swapped from the Mets to the Rangers in exchange for Luisangel Acuna last summer, the future Hall of Famer pitched to a 3.20 ERA and 3.41 FIP in eight starts for the club down the stretch with an excellent 29.9% strikeout rate but dealt with injuries that limited both his availability and his effectiveness during the club’s postseason run that culminated in the first World Series championship in franchise history. Looking ahead, his return to action should further bolster the pitching staff in Texas while allowing the Rangers to shift the likes of Heaney and Jose Urena into relief after early season rotation injuries forced them into starting roles.

A’s Select Michel Otañez

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5:18PM: Wood had a setback during his throwing program, as the team told MLB.com and other media.  Wood has subsequently been shut down and no timeline has been given about when he might get back to the rehab process.

11:25AM: The A’s announced a series of roster moves this afternoon led by the club selecting the contract of right-hander Michel Otañez. Making room for Otañez on the 40-man roster is Alex Wood, who the club transferred to the 60-day injured list in a corresponding move, while lefty Jack O’Loughlin was optioned to the minor leagues to create space on the active roster.

Otañez, 27 next month, made his professional debut in the Mets organization back in 2018. Initially a starting pitcher, the right-hander converted to relief following the cancelled minor league season in 2020 and reached the upper levels of the minors in 2022. While he dominated Double-A hitters to the tune of a 1.80 ERA in 15 innings of work, he quickly met his match in a promotion to Triple-A, where he struggled to a 6.37 ERA in 29 2/3 frames. Otañez then elected minor league free agency and landed with the Diamondbacks, though his struggles continued with a brutal 6.08 ERA in 37 innings of work split between the Double- and Triple-A levels that year. While Otañez struck out an excellent 35.3% of batters faced with Arizona, a ghastly 16.2% walk rate held him back from being a major league caliber relief arm.

Otañez returned to minor league free agency last offseason and latched on with the A’s on a minor league pact. The club assigned him to Triple-A Las Vegas and he finally found success at the level with his third organization. In 29 1/3 innings of work, Otañez has managed to cut his walk rate to a more manageable 11.8% while maintaining a strong 35.4% strikeout rate that’s nearly identical to last year. His work to cut down on free passes paid dividends in the results department as he’s posted a 3.99 ERA despite the inflated offensive environment of the Pacific Coast League.

That performance was enough to convince the A’s to offer Otañez a chance at the big league level. The 26-year-old will make his major league debut the first time he gets into a game and figures to act as a middle relief option for the club from the right-hand side alongside Vinny Nittoli, behind late-inning arms Mason Miller, Austin Adams, and Dany Jimenez. He’ll replace O’Loughlin in an Oakland bullpen stacked with left-handed pitching options after the Australia native threw 3 1/3 scoreless relief frames against Toronto last night.

As for Wood, the lefty’s placement on the 60-day IL is ominous news given that Wood was set to begin a throwing program in his rehab from rotator cuff tendinitis on June 1. That seemingly could have put the veteran lefty on track to return sometime later this month, but now he’ll be out until at least after the All Star break. The 2024 campaign had been a struggle for Wood prior to his placement on the IL, as he pitched to a lackluster 5.26 ERA with a matching 5.27 FIP through nine starts with Oakland.

Yankees Designate Dennis Santana For Assignment

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The Yankees announced this afternoon that they’ve designated right-hander Dennis Santana for assignment. Right-hander Ron Marinaccio was recalled to the majors in a corresponding move.

Santana, 28, signed with the Yankees on a minor league deal over the offseason and quickly broke onto the club’s roster when right-hander Jonathan Loasigia suffered a flexor strain that sent him to the 60-day IL just days into the regular season. The right-hander generally pitched well into early May, with a 3.24 ERA and an even stronger 2.78 FIP despite a lackluster 18.6% strikeout rate. Unfortunately, the wheels came off for Santana from there. Over his last nine outings, the right-hander has been torched to the tune of a 10.97 ERA with a 5.67 FIP. He’s struck out 14% of batters faced, walked 8%, and hit a batter in his last 10 2/3 innings of work.

That brutal stretch ballooned Santana’s ERA to 6.26 on the season, and that left the Yankees to pull the plug on his time in their bullpen. Now, the club will have seven days to either trade Santana or attempt to pass him through waivers, although he’s been outrighted previously in his career and would have the right to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency even if he were to clear waivers.

What stands out about Santana’s time in the Bronx is how different his peripherals have looked compared to his previous struggles at the big league level. Ever since the right-hander made his big league debut with the Dodgers back in 2018, Santana has struggled with his control despite generally solid strikeout numbers. From 2020 to 2023, Santana pitched to a 4.91 ERA and 4.20 FIP that aren’t entirely dissimilar to the results he got with the Yankees this year, but his strikeout rate of 21.1% and walk rate of 12% were both much higher than the 16.5% and 8.7% figures he posted in the Bronx. If Santana is able to find a way to recoup those lost strikeouts while maintaining his more manageable walk rate from this season, it’s conceivable the 28-year-old could become a valuable relief arm for an interested club.

In the meantime, the Yankees will replace Santana with Marinaccio in their bullpen mix. The righty, 29 on July 1, has enjoyed strong results since he made his big league debut with the club back in 2022. In 104 innings of work, he’s posted a 2.86 ERA despite a more pedestrian FIP of 3.98. That elevated FIP stems from command issues; Marinaccio has struck out an excellent 28.2% of the batters he’s faced in his career, but his 10.9% walk rate in 12 2/3 innings of work this year is currently the lowest of his career. In spite of those shaky peripherals, it’s nonetheless an impressive body of work for the righty, who came from humble beginnings as a 19th-round pick in the 2017 draft. Marinaccio figures to resume his role in the middle of the Yankees bullpen going forward alongside Victor Gonzalez and Michael Tonkin.

Diamondbacks Designate Logan Allen For Assignment

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The Diamondbacks announced this morning that they’ve designated left-hander Logan Allen for assignment. Lefty Tommy Henry was recalled to the majors in a corresponding move to replace Allen on the club’s active roster.

Allen, 27, is not to be confused with the 25-year-old Guardians left-hander of the same name despite the fact that he too was once a fairly well-regarded prospect in Cleveland’s farm system. Acquired from the Padres in the three-team blockbuster that sent Yasiel Puig and Franmil Reyes to Cleveland, Trevor Bauer to Cincinnati, and Taylor Trammell to San Diego, Allen pitched only briefly for Cleveland in the majors prior to the 2021 season, where he struggled badly with a 6.26 ERA in 50 1/3 innings of work across 14 appearances (11 starts).

The peripherals matched that lackluster performance. Allen struck out just 16.7% of batters faced while walking 7.7% and allowing an eye-popping 22.2% of his fly balls to leave the yard for home runs. Even with a solid 45.1% groundball rate, those brutal results and the peripherals that indicated they were largely deserved left the Guardians to part ways with Allen in May of 2022. He was initially claimed off waivers by the Orioles, although he struggled through just three appearances with Baltimore before they too designated him for assignment. This time, he passed through waivers successfully and was assigned outright to the minors.

The lefty spent a few months in the Orioles minor league system before eventually getting released and signing with the Rockies on a minor league deal that August. He remained in Colorado into the 2023 season but was released in mid-July, though he found a job with the Mariners just weeks later. Across four organizations and two seasons, Allen struggled badly at the Triple-A level with a 5.77 ERA in 110 2/3 innings of work and never sniffed the majors after he was outrighted by the Orioles. Nonetheless, Allen was able to find a minor league pact with the Diamondbacks this winter. Unlike his past minor league deals, this time Allen found some success with a 3.00 ERA in 12 innings of work with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Reno.

That was enough for the Snakes to decide to call Allen up to the majors as a long relief option in mid-April. He’s made 12 appearances for the Diamondbacks since then, often pitching as many as three or four innings at a time, and had generally impressed with a 3.67 ERA and 3.84 FIP through his first 11 outings as a Diamondback. Unfortunately, the lefty was torched for six runs on six hits (including a home run) and a walk in one inning of work against the Padres last night, a disastrous outing that ballooned his ERA to 5.46 and his FIP to 4.31. With Arizona in need of a fresh arm and Allen out of option years, that left Arizona to DFA him in order to get Henry, who has acted as optionable starting pitching depth for the Diamondbacks since his debut in 2022, onto the roster.

Arizona will now have one week to either trade Allen or attempt to pass him through waivers. If Allen clears waivers successfully, the Diamondbacks would be able to outright him to the minor leagues, although he’d have the right to reject such an assignment as a player who has already been outrighted previously in his career. It’s not inconceivable that a pitching-needy team would be willing to look past Allen’s rough outing against San Diego last night and take a chance on him based on his previous 11 appearances, although it’s also possible the lefty’s shake results both at Triple-A and in the majors prior to joining the Diamondbacks could turn otherwise intrigued clubs away.

Mariners Place Ty France On The 10-Day Injured List

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The Mariners made a series of roster moves this morning, headlined by the club’s reported promotion of first base prospect Tyler Locklear. Seattle also selected the contract of right-hander Matt Bowman, as first reported by Ryan Divish of The Seattle Times. In corresponding moves, first baseman Ty France was placed on the 10-day injured list with a fractured heel and right-hander Collin Snider was optioned to Triple-A in order to clear space on the active roster. Meanwhile, right-handers Levi Stoudt and Eduardo Salazar were designated for assignment to clear 40-man roster space for Locklear and Bowman.

The loss of France is surely a frustrating one for Mariners fans, as the 29-year-old has been one of the club’s hottest hitters dating back to the start of May. In his last 34 games, France has slashed a strong .259/.353/.448 in 133 plate appearances. That strong stretch has lifted his overall season line to a respectable .251/.329/.403, but his hot streak will now be cut short by a trip to the IL after France was hit in the heel by a pitch from Royals lefty Daniel Lynch IV. France was initially considered day-to-day due to the issue but after continued discomfort he underwent imaging that revealed a fracture. A timetable for France’s return is not yet clear, though it seems likely to be a fairly lengthy absence. France’s injury opened the door for Locklear’s promotion, which you can read more about here. As noted by Divish, the Mariners plan for Locklear to be the club’s everyday first baseman going forward, rather than part of a platoon with Luke Raley.

Also joining the club alongside Locklear is Bowman, a veteran of six major league seasons who has already pitched for the Diamondbacks and Twins so far this year. When the Twins dealt Bowman to Arizona, he had been squeezed off of Minnesota’s 40-man roster despite a solid showing in five appearances, where he posted a 2.35 ERA in 7 2/3 innings of work. Unfortunately, the wheels came off for Bowman across his four appearances with Arizona, where he was shelled for six runs on eight hits and two walks in 6 2/3 innings of work that ballooned his ERA to 5.02 on the year. That led the Diamondbacks to designate the righty for assignment in late May, and he later elected free agency rather than remain in the organization as a non-roster depth piece.

Bowman signed with the Mariners on a minor league deal last week and looked good in two scoreless appearances with the club’s Triple-A affiliate in Tacoma. Now, he’s set to join a Mariners bullpen that has lost key players like Matt Brash, Gregory Santos, and Gabe Speier to the injured list this season. While the 33-year-old righty hasn’t exactly impressed in the majors in recent years, he nonetheless sports a 3.51 ERA in 66 2/3 innings of work at the Triple-A level over the past two seasons with a solid 23.1% strikeout rate that suggests he could be a solid middle relief option for Seattle going forward. He’ll be replacing Snider in the club’s bullpen after the righty briefly came up from Triple-A last week; the 28-year-old now figures to return to the minors as a depth option for the Mariners moving forward.

Departing the club’s 40-man roster are Stoudt and Salazar, neither of whom have pitched for the Mariners in the majors this year. Salazar was claimed off waivers from the Dodgers just two weeks ago and sports a 6.91 ERA in 14 1/3 innings of work in the majors with L.A. and Cincinnati. He allowed two runs on three hits and three walks while striking out just one in 3 1/3 innings of work with Triple-A Tacoma. As for Stoudt, the righty was claimed off waivers from the Reds back in February as a potential depth starter but has pitched to disastrous results at Triple-A, with a 6.92 ERA in 52 innings of work and a strikeout rate of just 14.9%. The Mariners will have one week to either trade the pair or attempt to pass them through waivers. If either player clears waivers successfully, the Mariners will have the opportunity to outright them to the minor leagues as non-roster depth.

White Sox Designate Shane Drohan For Assignment

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The White Sox announced a series of roster moves this morning, including that they’ve activated left-hander Shane Drohan from the 60-day injured list and designated him for assignment. In a separate move, the club selected the contract of left-hander Sammy Peralta. The club optioned right-hander Nick Nastrini to make room on the active roster. Chicago’s 40-man roster stands at 39.

Drohan, 25, joined the White Sox organization over the offseason when he was selected from the Red Sox in the Rule 5 draft. Chicago will have one week to either trade or waive Drohan, and if he clears waivers they must offer him back to Boston for $50K. If he lands with a new organization by trade or on waivers, Drohan’s Rule 5 obligations will carry over to that new club. Drohan underwent shoulder surgery back in February but began a rehab assignment on May 10. The 30-day window for Drohan’s rehab assignment ended today, meaning that he had to be activated from the IL and either placed on Chicago’s active roster in compliance with Rule 5 restrictions or designated for assignment.

The White Sox evidently chose to part ways with Drohan, and given his struggles during his rehab assignment it’s not hard to see why. In 9 1/3 innings of work over ten appearances spread across three levels of the minors, Drohan struggled to an 8.68 ERA with a 17.4% walk rate despite an excellent 32.6% strikeout rate. Those results worsened when he departed complex ball, as he yielded a 9.53 ERA with identical 20.7% strikeout and walk rates in seven appearances split between High-A and Triple-A. Even for a 17-48 club like Chicago, it’s difficult to justify dedicating an active roster spot to a player facing struggles that deep against minor league hitters.

Prior to the aforementioned shoulder surgery, Drohan had the look of an interesting pitching prospect in the Red Sox organization. The lefty dominated Double-A pitching to the tune of a 1.32 ERA with a 28.1% strikeout rate across six starts last year before being promoted to the Triple-A level. Drohan hit a wall during his time at Triple-A, however, as he walked 14.9% of batters faced across his 21 appearances (19 starts) while yielding a 6.47 ERA in 89 innings of work.

Those struggles were seemingly enough to convince Boston to leave Drohan off their 40-man roster this winter, although Chicago evidently believed that a move to short relief could help with Drohan’s control problems enough to make him a viable big leaguer. Should he wind up returning to Boston, it’s possible the Red Sox will keep Drohan in his new short relief role or perhaps look to stretch him back out as a potential depth option for the big league club in the event he manages to sort out his control issues.

As for Peralta, the lefty’s contract was first selected to the club’s roster back in May of 2023. He performed decently in a middle relief role for the club last year, with a 4.05 ERA and 4.41 FIP in 20 innings of work. Peralta’s lackluster minor league numbers and worrisome big league peripherals were enough to make him expendable for the White Sox as they sorted through their Opening Day roster crunch, and he was designated for assignment to make room for right-hander Jordan Leasure on the 40-man roster. That led to him being claimed off waivers by the Mariners, who then designated Peralta themselves to make room for righty Eduardo Salazar.

The White Sox then claimed him off waivers from Seattle to return him to the organization, only to designate him for a third time in two months in order to make room for righty Jake Woodford on 40-man roster. Peralta then finally cleared waivers and was outrighted to the minors in late May, but he spent less than two weeks there before being selected back to the roster today. Peralta’s rollercoaster first two months of the season have led him to a familiar role: that of a fill-in relief option who can pitch from the left side. The lefty struggled badly during his time in the Mariners organization but has 3 2/3 scoreless innings of work at the Triple-A level for the White Sox this year. He’ll hope to take that success into the majors with him as he joins the club’s bullpen alongside fellow lefties Tanner Banks, Jared Shuster, and Tim Hill.

As for Nastrini, the right-hander was a key component of the return for right-handers Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly after Chicago traded them to the Dodgers last summer. Nastrini has made six starts at the big league level so far this season and has generally struggled badly, with a 8.39 ERA and 7.92 FIP in just 24 2/3 innings of work. While he held the Red Sox to just one run over 4 1/3 innings last night, he walked five of the 19 batters he faced. That performance at the big league level has clearly indicated to the Sox that the 24-year-old needs more time in the minors before he can contribute on the south side on a more permanent basis.

Cubs Have Reportedly “Privately Discussed” Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Trade

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If the Blue Jays make star slugger Vladimir Guerrero Jr. available this summer, it appears that the Cubs would be among the suitors for his services. USA Today’s Bob Nightengale reported this morning that Chicago’s brass have “privately discussed” the possibility of pursuing Guerrero ahead of the trade deadline next month.

Of course, such a deal would be predicated on Toronto actually making Guerrero available. Toronto is tied for fifth place in the AL East with a 31-33 record but currently sits just two games out of the final AL Wild Card spot, making a postseason push more than feasible in the event that the Jays manage to turn things around. Even if they don’t manage to climb back into contention, club GM Ross Atkins recently took to the radio to emphasize that trading either Guerrero or fellow star infielder Bo Bichette “doesn’t make any sense” for the Blue Jays to consider. This sort of deal would also surely require the Cubs themselves to turn things around prior to the trade deadline. While Chicago is just one game out of an NL Wild Card spot at the moment, their 31-34 record puts them mere percentage points ahead of the Cardinals for last place in a crowded NL Central division after a brutal skid that has seen them go 7-17 over their last 24 games.

All those caveats make it appear unlikely that a deal between the Jays and the Cubs will actually come together, although it’s worth noting that things can certainly change with nearly two months to go until deadline day. The idea that the two sides could come together on a Guerrero deal certainly has some logic to it, even as plenty of roadblocks remain in the way of a trade occurring. Reporting from ESPN’s Jeff Passan earlier this week indicated that the Jays are unlikely to set a course for their trade deadline strategy until after the All Star break, while Cubs president of baseball operations Jed Hoyer recently made note of the fact that the club has struggled with power production this season and indicated that he could look to address that issue ahead of the deadline.

If the Cubs are looking for power, Guerrero would certainly provide it. A three-time All Star in the midst of his age-25 season, the slugger has slashed a combined .284/.364/.498 with 113 home runs in 541 games since his breakout 2021 season where he led the majors with 48 long balls and finished second to Shohei Ohtani in AL MVP voting. In addition to his impactful offensive ability, Guerrero could be a particularly attractive trade candidate for Chicago due to his remaining team control. Most other speculative trade candidates who could add some thump to a lineup, such as Alex Bregman, Pete Alonso, and Christian Walker, are set to become free agents after the 2024 campaign. Guerrero, on the other hand, is currently slated to hit free agency after 2025. That would not only give Chicago an additional full season of team control over Guerrero’s services, but also give them the opportunity to extend him a Qualifying Offer in the event he departs in free agency.

Guerrero has almost exclusively appeared at first base and DH in recent years, where the Cubs have relied primarily on Michael Busch and Mike Tauchman this season. While the pair have been perhaps the Cubs’ most effective hitters this year, neither player figures to get in the way of a trade for a player of Guerrero’s caliber. Busch has cooled off somewhat after a hot start to the year in April and is striking out a 33.8% clip on the season, while Tauchman turns 34 in December and is unlikely to be viewed as a long-term piece even in spite of his excellent play with the Cubs over the past year. For an impact talent like Guerrero, the Cubs would surely be willing to push Tauchman into more of a fourth outfielder role while still allowing him to draw some starts on days where Busch sits. It’s even possible that the Cubs could look to free up more playing time by getting Guerrero occasional time at third base, as the Blue Jays have started to do for the first time since moving him off the position back in 2019.

Guerrero offers little in terms of defensive value at the hot corner, but the Cubs’s options at third are hardly defensively robust in their own right. Christopher Morel has gotten the lion’s share of playing time at the position this year but has received terrible ratings from defensive metrics. His -11 Outs Above Average is dead last among all qualified fielders this year according to Statcast, while his -8 Defensive Runs Saved is tied for last among all qualified infielders according to Fielding Bible. Patrick Wisdom, Nick Madrigal, and David Bote have all also seen occasional time at the hot corner for the Cubs this year, but none of them profile as quality defenders at the position themselves. If the Cubs share in Toronto’s willingness to give Guerrero even occasional starts at third base, that could allow manager Craig Counsell plenty of room to mix and match as he juggles Guerrero, Morel, Busch, and Cody Bellinger between the infield corners while also utilizing Bellinger alongside Tauchman, Ian Happ, Seiya Suzuki, and Pete Crow-Armstrong in the club’s outfield mix.

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